MOSCOW, Russia – A chartered ambulance flight to Moscow crashed in a mountainous area of northeastern Afghanistan, leaving four survivors and two deceased individuals, according to the Russian aviation authority on January 21.
The Russian-registered charter plane disappeared from radar screens, and rescuers reached the remote crash site. The flight originated in Thailand, made stops in India and Uzbekistan, and was carrying six individuals.
The survivors were found with various injuries, including the pilot of the French-made Falcon 10 jet, which was manufactured in 1978, according to the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan. The crash occurred between the Karan wan Munjan and Zebak districts of Badakhshan Province, according to provincial officials.
Initial reports suggested it was an Indian passenger plane, but the Indian Ministry of Aviation clarified that the aircraft was neither scheduled nor chartered in India. The flight was a private medical evacuation from Thailand’s Pattaya, with a bedridden Russian citizen in serious condition being transported from a hospital in Pattaya to Russia, the Russian Embassy in Bangkok reported.
The fate of the two deceased individuals is currently being clarified. The incident remains under investigation.